updated 08:30 pm EDT, Tue September 10, 2013

Company adds new matching color to iPod line; iPod Classic untouched

In addition to the "Space Gray" color option it unveiled for its iPhone line earlier today, Apple has altered its iPod options to add the color to the choices available, or replaces any previous black option -- except for the 16GB iPod touch model and the iPod Classic, both of which were offered in a dark gray style prior to today's rollout. The iPod Classic, unchanged in its two gray color options, remains available on the Apple online store despite rumors to the contrary. The "Space Gray" makeover strongly hints at forthcoming changes to the iPad.

The iPod changeover went unannounced at the presentation, but replaces a black option in the iPod nano and iPod shuffle choices, and was added to the iPod touch when the store came back following the iPhone rollout. The iPod line appears to be unchanged apart from the Space Gray option, with the colors of the line now mostly matching those found in the new iPhone 5c (albeit in metal rather than plastic), with some variations.

For example, the iPod touch line has no green option (while the Shuffle and Nano do), and the iPhone 5c has no purple option (which is available for the Nano and Shuffle but again not for the Touch). The smaller iPods also have a silver option that is only matched by the white-and-silver iPhone 5S. No other product apart from the iPhone 5S offers a "gold/champagne" color.

The logical conclusion is that the next iPad -- speculated to be as thin in its full-size option as the iPad mini is now -- will also be offered in a "Space Gray" rather than black configuration when the line is updated (expected but not guaranteed to happen in early October, one year after the previous model was introduced). The iPad mini was already offered in a "black and slate" option alongside the "white and silver" color, but would presumably change in its next iteration to match the new "Space Gray" color as the iPhone has.